SR60 vs SR60i questions?

Are you asking if Grados sound like Senns? I haven't heard a pair of Senns before but from everything that I know, they sound totally different. Grados are up front and forward sounding while Senns are a bit laid back. 

About the difference between the 60i and 80i, 80i is supposed to have a bit more bass. I have the 80i and haven't heard the 60i, but I bet they are pretty similar. If you can spend the extra cash, you should go for the 225i. Its loads better than the 80i. Don't get me wrong, the 80i is a fantastic headphone and I would have gladly spent $150 bucks for a pair, but the 225i is just such a great can.

Originally Posted by cactus_farmer 

I searched for a thread on this and actually didn't find very much.

 

Are the differences quite minimal as I expect or are there noticeable improvements?

 

Is the sound signature basically the same, or does it now sound y'know, like a Sennheiser or something?

When I mod, I don't care.  I'm looking for the cheapest used set I can find.  I'm going to strip the whole thing down for the drivers.  But if I were buying to wear . . . 

I'd take the SR60i over the SR60.  While I prefer the classic look of the SR60 (which is a plastic RS1, which was a mahogany PS1) the SR60i has a bigger shell, one designed to be a plastic 325.  All of the plastic Grados are now plastic versions of the aluminum SR325is.  The size of the shell is a definite plus.  I also think the 60i has a little more punch than the 60, which is nice.  The driver is supposed to have been tweaked.  I suspect it has to do with the relative thinness of the cloth behind the driver, though you could vent/mod the driver on an SR60 to make it quite punchy.

I'd take the SR80i over the SR80 or the SR60i.  For $20, you get a destressed driver, whatever that means, and better wiring.  The SR80i has a four-conductor cable, which means the groundwire has been split, to reduce crosstalk.  That's worth something.

I'd take the SR125i over the SR80, etc., because of the better wiring (UHPLC wire in both the voice coils and the connecting cables).  The 125 also has the eight-connector cable.  This means you get twisted pairs of each 24 awg copper cable, doubling the copper and halving the impedance.  You will definitely hear an improvement in the bass with this headphone.

I think the main difference from the 60 and 60i is the cable and slightly more punch to the "i" versions.

Qute the opposite, actually.  I have a pair of SR60's that's about 15 yrs old, which my daughter took from me, so I bought a pair of SR60i's to replace them, which just arrived this week.  Comparing the two, the SR60i's are almost shrill. The highs are way more pronounced, bringing cymbals way to the front of the soundstage, and pushing vocals way into the back. The most major difference is in the pads. The older pads are thinner, and muffle the highs a bit, but bring up the bass at the same time. I swapped the pads between the cans, and the new pads add a bit of sparkle to the SR60i's.  The old pads on the SR60i's make them sound a lot more balanced, and bring the vocals forward where they belong.  I think the combination I like best is the SR60's with the new pads.

Another difference is volume. The SR60i's need the gain boosted a bit to match the volume of the SR60's. This is partly, but not entirely due to the increased distance caused by the thicker new pads.

I'm hoping that after break-in, the SR60i's will improve. So far, I'm find them to be a huge disappointment, and very fatiguing.